History Main / ContinuityRebooter

However, this trope doesn't refer to a character doing this as part of an {{Elseworld}} or WhatIf story, as those are non-canonical. It's also not any event which just lasts a little while and is eliminated with a SnapBack or the use of the ResetButton. A Continuity Rebooter must cause a long-lasting change in the series' continuity or create a long-lasting and well-explored alternate continuity to qualify, and that change must be part of the main canon. A series revolving around TimeTravel doesn't count, since, well, that is a fundamental part of the plot (so no, ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' isn't an example). However, a series that doesn't ''normally'' involve time travel and uses it as a device to change continuity would count if the change sticks.

* A recurring element within the ''VisualNovel/ShinzaBanshoSeries'' is that each major entry ends with someone rising to the Throne and becoming the new ruling God of the multiverse after the old one has been slain, followed by its complete reformation according to whatever law the new God craves. As a result, each entry tend to be vastly different in setting, tone and style or even genre with very little to do with the other entries. In general, this rule tend to be the one constant. As of this writing, Nerose Satanel, [[VisualNovel/DiesIrae Marie]], [[VisualNovel/KajiriKamuiKagura Hirume]] and [[LightNovel/AvestaOfBlackAndWhite Magsarion]] are those that have been shown to have accomplished this, while Mithra, Mercurius and Hajun did so off-screen.

** Mephisto ([[DorkAge to MANY a fan's consternation]]) in ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay''.

* The BigBad of''Manga/JojosBizzareAdventureStoneOcean'', Pucci's main goal for the part is to reset the universe and achieve a state he calls "Heaven". [[spoiler: While he is initially successful, he is killed while trying to tie up loose ends, causing another reset where he seemingly doesn't exists.]]

* The BigBad of''Manga/JojosBizzareAdventureStoneOcean'', Pucci's main goal for the part is to reset the universe and achieve a state he calls "Heaven". [[spoiler: While he is initially successful, he is killed while trying to tie up loose ends, causing another reset where he seemingly doesn't exists.

* Enrico Pucci in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'' reboots the universe in the climax using Made in Heaven, and the next two parts, ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'' and ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJolion]]'', are set in a new universe with characters, places and situations similar but different to their original counterparts. However, this universe has never been directly said to be a result of Pucci's actions, and WordOfGod even says the Morioh of Part 4 and Part 8 aren't connected by time and space (and therefore not a "reboot" of the original town).

** [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] during ''ComicBook/ZeroHour''. Less extreme (and less well-received) than ''Crisis''.

** ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}'' has [[spoiler:Pre-''ComicBook/ZeroHour'' Parallax and Pre-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' Superman volunteer to be sent to the past in place of the DoomedByCanon Pre-''Crisis'' Supergirl and Pre-''Crisis'' Barry Allen. This results in a dramatic change in the outcome of the first ''ComicBook/{{Crisis|OnInfiniteEarths}}'', and now the original multiverse exists alongside the ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}'' multiverse]].

* Sonic and Dr. Eggman become this in ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog''. Eggman is the one who makes the initial changes ("Sonic: Genesis", ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'') and Sonic's the one to put it back. However, both times Sonic does it, he messes something up (the second time wasn't his fault, though - Eggman interfered.)

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*** It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:Doctor Manhattan from ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' is the one responsible for the new 52 timeline.]]

* Sonic and Dr. Eggman become this in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog''. Eggman is the one who makes the initial changes ("Sonic: Genesis", ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'') and Sonic's the one to put it back. However, both times Sonic does it, he messes something up (the second time wasn't his fault, though - Eggman interfered.)

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* Tatsuya in ''Videogame/{{Persona 2}}''. At the end of ''Innocent Sin'', the world is on countdown to the apocalypse, and Philemon offers the main characters the chance to have their memories erased and time rewound to avoid it. However, Tatsuya, at the last second, relents on losing the memories of his comrades, and so the continuity of ''Eternal Punishment'' forms, in which Tatsuya is the only one who remembers what happened in ''Innocent Sin'' and Nyarlathotep has another chance at destroying the world.

** However ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' reveals that Kronika, the Goddess of time in the MK universe, has actually been doing this ''several times'' even way before the events of the first game [[spoiler: largely as a way to turn Raiden and Liu Kang against each other as the two are the major threats to her plan to create a universe how she wants it, even stating that in some cases Raiden finding out in previous timelines hasn't deterred her. However in this reiteration Raiden gives up his god power to Liu Kang (the one that got pulled into the past, not the one in this timeline who turned evil when he became a revenant) who proceeds to (canonically) defeats Kronika and take control of the hourglass. This time intending to make a new timeline without her influence, thus being the rebooter for the next installment.]]

** [[GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] during ''ComicBook/ZeroHour''. Less extreme (and less well-received) than ''Crisis''.

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* Spock and Nero in the reboot of ''Film/StarTrek''. Spock's failure to prevent a massive NegativeSpaceWedgie from forming causes him and Nero to go back into the past, creating an AlternateTimeline that runs parallel to the original. Every change from the original continuity to the rebooted continuity is attributed to Nero's late-24th century Romulan cargo ship showing up in the early 23rd century, which only happens due to Spock's failure to save Nero's planet.

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* AZ from ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' is revealed to be this in ''[[Videogame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]''. His use of the Ultimate Weapon is implied to have created an alternate timeline, one in which he did and Mega Evolution exists (Generation VI and onwards), and one where he did not and it doesn't (pre-Gen VI). ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' reinforces this as [[spoiler:Anabel (who appeared in ''Pokémon Emerald'' but not the remakes) explicitly comes from another universe (and her battle music is ripped straight from ''Emerald'', implying she comes from the original universe)]].

* Similar to the comics counterpart, in ''Series/TheFlash2014'' Barry goes back in time to save his mom, resulting in the Flashpoint timeline. This version is LighterAndSofter and he only restores time when Wally West is mortally wounded. He restores an altered version of reality, causing changes in the lives of the people around him (yes, they learn. Yes, they take it about as badly as you think.) And, as in the comics, Barry learns that ''everything'' isn't his fault (though it's not quite to the extent of "a totally unrelated reality-warping character really did it" like the comics. Rather, when we learn Savitar's deal it's clear it would have happened anyway, and just because Barry didn't ''know'' of Caitlin's AnIcePerson powers until after the reset doesn't mean for sure that it's the cause. With things like this he learns to let go of ItsAllMyFault mode and accept the current world.)

** Either [[ComicBook/TheFlash Barry Allen]] or [[ComicBook/TrinityOfSinPandora Pandora]] in ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'', leading to the ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}''. Barry was the one to actually [[spoiler:merge the DCU with {{Wildstorm}} and Creator/VertigoComics timelines]], but it was Pandora that got him to do it.

* Spock and Nero in the reboot of ''Film/StarTrek''. Spock's failure to prevent a massive NegativeSpaceWedgie from forming causes him and Nero to go back into the past, where Nero wreaks havoc with the timeline. Every change from the original continuity to the rebooted continuity is attributed to Nero's late-24th century Romulan cargo ship showing up in the early 23rd century, which only happens due to Spock's failure to save Nero's planet.

* Enrico Pucci in ''Stone Ocean'', Part 6 of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. He reboots the universe, leading to Part 7, ''Steel Ball Run'', which is set in the late 19th century like Part 1, but with drastically different characters and situations.

* [[spoiler:AZ]] from ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' is revealed to be this in ''[[Videogame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]''. [[spoiler:His use of the legendary weapon was implied to have created an alternate timeline, one in which he did and Mega Evolution exists, and one where he did not and it doesn't, Generation VI and pre-Gen VI respectively.]]

Sometimes, creators want to give their [[LongRunner long-running series]] a fresh start, so they decide to make a ContinuityReboot. However, they sometimes don't want to just make a completely new reality for their series, instead making the reboot an actual part of the continuing storyline. In cases like this, one tool the creators have is to use a character to explain the reboot. Hence, the Continuity Rebooter.

*** It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:Doctor Manhattan from ''Watchmen'' is the one responsible for the new 52 timeline.]]

* Enrico Pucci in ''Stone Ocean'', Part 6 of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. He reboots the universe, leading to Part 7, ''Steel Ball Run'', which is set in the 1890s like Part 1, but with drastically different characters and situations.

Basically, a character is a Continuity Rebooter if:

** The Anti-Monitor during ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', which led to the first true reboot of the DCU. [[spoiler:He basically destroys TheMultiverse and all realities merge into one.]]

* Tatsuya in ''Videogame/{{Persona 2}}''. At the end of ''Innocent Sin'', the world is basically on countdown to the apocalypse, and Philemon offers the main characters the chance to have their memories erased and time rewound to avoid it. However, Tatsuya, at the last second, relents on losing the memories of his comrades, and so the continuity of ''Eternal Punishment'' forms, in which Tatsuya is the only one who remembers what happened in ''Innocent Sin'' and Nyarlathotep has another chance at destroying the world.

** Either [[ComicBook/TheFlash Barry Allen]] or [[ComicBook/TrinityOfSinPandora Pandora]] in ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'', leading to the ''{{New 52}}''. Barry was the one to actually [[spoiler:merge the DCU with {{Wildstorm}} and Creator/VertigoComics timelines]], but it was Pandora that got him to do it.

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* Dawn on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' functions this way. She was introduced as a character in Season 5, and as soon as she appears, it's [[RetCon retconned]] that she's Buffy's 6-years-younger sister, and Buffy has ''always had'' a younger sister. Unusually, Dawn doesn't remember the alternate reality, and neither does anybody else (except possibly the people who cast the spell creating her). However, [[{{By the Eyes of the Blind}} insane people see Dawn as an energy being]], not a little girl--and this includes Dawn's mother, when her brain tumor starts making her irrational.

* Serge in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''. When young, he was attacked by a panther, and at that moment the universe split in two: his current reality and another reality in which he died from the panther's attack. A big part of the game's plot is WHY he's so important to both universes that his near-death experience causes such a dissonance between them. [[spoiler: He also reboots the events of the ''Chrono Trigger, as his existence and actions actually cause Crono and his friends' actions in the first game to have been all in vain]].

* [[spoiler:AZ]] from ''Videogame/PokemonXAndY'' is revealed to be this in ''[[Videogame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]''. [[spoiler:His use of the legendary weapon was implied to have created an alternate timeline, one in which he did and Mega Evolution exists, and one where he did not and it doesn't, Generation 6 and pre-Gen 6 respectively.]]

* Dawn on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' functions this way. She was introduced as a character in Season 5, and as soon as she appears, it's [[RetCon retconned]] that she's Buffy's 6-years-younger sister, and Buffy has ''always had'' a younger sister. Unusually, Dawn doesn't remember the alternate reality, and neither does anybody else (except possibly the people who cast the spell creating her). However, [[PowerBornOfMadness insane people see Dawn as an energy being]], not a little girl--and this includes Dawn's mother, when her brain tumor starts making her irrational.

* Spock and Nero in the reboot of ''Film/StarTrek''. Spock's failure to prevent a massive NegativeSpaceWedgie from forming causes him and Nero to go back into the past, where Nero wreaks havoc with the timeline. Every change from the original continuity to the rebooted continuity is attributed to Nero's late-24th century Romulan cargo ship showing up in the early 23rd century.